Review network connection security

To check how secure your network connection is and learn what you can do to improve it:

1. Open the Menu and click the Network monitor.

2. In the upper section of the Network monitor, see the details about your network connection.

CleanMyMac provides the following details:

• Network name (for wireless connections – Wi-Fi or Personal Hotspot) or interface name (for wired connections)

• Connection type (Wi-Fi, wired, or Personal Hotspot)

• Security info and recommendations for wireless connections

• Connection time for wireless connections

Also, if you connect via VPN, the app shows the VPN connection name and time.

Networks with weak security don't use reliable protection protocols. These connections are potentially unsafe, as hackers can intercept the data you send or receive. Strong security settings make connections much harder to breach.

CleanMyMac rates network security based on the connection type and the security protocol in use. Unsafe connections are highlighted in yellow. Avoid using these networks or reconfigure them.

With wired connections, you physically connect your Mac computer to a network via cable. Intercepting data on a wired connection requires physical access to the cable, making it highly secure. For this reason, security specialists consider wired networks to be well-protected.

In contrast, wireless signals are broadcast over the air, making transmitted data more exposed. Every Wi-Fi network should use a security protocol.

Open Wi-Fi networks are the most vulnerable since they are publicly available and lack encryption and password protection. Anyone, including criminals, can join these networks and access transmitted data. We don't recommend using open networks. If you are connected to one, switch to a safer Wi-Fi network as soon as possible.

Protected networks are safer because they use password-based encryption, which prevents unauthorized access. When CleanMyMac indicates that a network uses the WPA2 or WPA3 security protocols, your connection is well-protected. However, WEP and WPA protocols are considered unreliable (see details).

Lastly, VPN connections are the most secure, relying on strong encryption algorithms. Using a secure connection with a VPN makes your data almost impossible to intercept.

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is a protocol that uses 256-bit key encryption, which is extremely difficult to break with standard computing power. WPA3 is the latest and strongest version, while WPA2 offers a balanced level of security. Both use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The original WPA, introduced in 2003, provides only basic protection.

WPA-Personal is ideal for home networks. WPA-Enterprise offers stronger protection and is better suited for business environments.

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), the predecessor to WPA, adds basic LAN security features to wireless networks, but it's insufficient for protecting Wi-Fi signals. Therefore, WEP is much weaker than any WPA version.

The security protocols ranked by strength are as follows:

If you're on a public network with weak security, it's safer to disconnect and switch to a protected network. This is especially important when dealing with work or business-related data, as compromising this information could have serious consequences. After joining a new network, use the Network monitor to check its security again.

If your home network isn't secure, reconfigure your Wi-Fi router to use a strong password and the WPA2 or WPA3 protocol (instead of WEP or WPA). If you discover that your home Wi-Fi network is Open, stop using it and change the configuration immediately.